Progesterone-dependent messenger RNA: heterospecific activity in vivo.

The action of progesterone in mediating the synthesis of avidin by the chick oviduct can be simulated by the intraoviductal instillation of nitrocellulose-trapped RNA from hormonally prepared chick or pigeon oviduct. Similarly, the pigeon oviduct synthesizes avidin in response to chick oviduct RNA. Thus, a heterospecific transfer of hormonal stimulation, through the transfer of progesterone-induced RNA, is demonstrated. The biological activity is lost after digestion by pancreatic ribonuclease. The 50-fold purification achieved by nitrocellulose chromatography of the total RNA preparation suggests that the activity resides in a messenger RNA fraction.